Man City finally confirm Rodri injury diagnosis after Pep Guardiola's admission 'irreplaceable' midfielder will be out for a 'long, long time'

Rodri had to go off within 20 minutes of the headline Premier League showdown at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, sparking fears of a long-term absence. A report claimed on Monday that City's worst fears had been realised, as Rodri appeared to have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which could rule him out for the rest of the season.

City have finally issued a statement that stops short of confirming an ACL injury, but says that he is struggling with a ligament issue and has been sent to Spain to see a specialist to find out the full extent of his problem. It does appear he will be missing for a while, however, and that could well have big implications in City's quest for more titles in the 2024-25 campaign.

City manager Pep Guardiola admitted before the club's statement that he does not expect to be able to call on the Spain international any time soon. He said: "He'll be out for a long time, a while, but there is some opinions that maybe it will be less than we expect. Unfortunately he was injured. Right now, still, I cannot tell you [how long] because we're waiting the last phone calls from him and the doctors to know exactly what, definitely, he has and the type of surgery that he has to get."

He added: "We don't want this but we will still have a good season. I trust a lot in my players, I have a duty to find a solution. Rodri is irreplaceable and the team won't play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time. Of course it's a big, big blow for us."

City and Rodri will hope the 28-year-old will have a smooth recovery from his injury issue, while the Premier League champions attempt to defend their top-flight crown. They are next in action on Saturday when they face Newcastle.